Earlier on Monday, an explosion killed seven people at a meeting in a school in the Kurram district, part of the tribal areas.

One district official told the Associated Press that the bomb killed local elders who had gathered to discuss a disagreement over who owned the school. Another official told the AFP news agency that the meeting had been called to settle a dispute between two tribes over an office job at the school.

More drones

The missile strike hit the village of Danda Darpa Khel, on the outskirts of Miramshah, North Waziristan's major town.

It was the 53rd US drone strike in Pakistan this year, equalling the number of strikes in all of 2009, according to the New America Foundation.The US government does not acknowledge such attacks, which are reportedly run by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Monday's strike, like others in North Waziristan, was believed to have targeted the Haqqani Network,which is based in the province and considered by the US to be the greatest threat to Nato forces in eastern Afghanistan.